Soldering-machine.



I A. SWAN. SOLDERING- MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1907:

996,374, Patented June 27, 1911.

3 BHEBTB-BHEET 1.

Witnesses PM mu? m Patented June 27, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. SWAN.

SOLDERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED SEPT. 18, 1907.

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Witinesse's:

A. SWAN.

SOLDERING MACHINE.

uruonmn FILED SEPT. 18, 1907.

996,374, Patented June 27,1911.

3 sinus-sum a.

Wiknes-scs: Invenor YM V AIFr'd Swan. f" y f UNITED sTArn-s PATENT orron.

ALFRED SWAN, OF UPPER MON'ICLAIR,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A oonroaa rron or NEWYORK.

SOLDERING-MAGHINE. I

. x v Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11119 27, 1911,Application fl1ed September 1.8. 1907. Serial No. 398,492.

and State of New'Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements 1ne s a specificatlon.

My invention relates to soldering. machines, and" more particularly tomachines SOlderin Machines, of w liichthe following to be used in themanufacture of incandescent lamps to solder the leading-in wires to thebase of the lamp. In an ordinary incandescent lamp adapted to be used ina screw-socket, one of the leading-in wires of the lamp is soldered to ascrew-threaded metallic shell which fits the socket, and the other toa.metallic disk or center contact insulated from the th ead ed shell andsecured in position on the base by anoperation separate and distinctfrom that of soldering the leading-in wire to the center contact. The,soldering is done by hand in a slow and expensive manner as theleading-in wire must be passed through a hole in the center contact andsolder applied from the outside of the base to fasten the Wire to thecontact. This operation is slow and tedious, and the solder often formsa rough projection on the center cont-act, which'must be smoothed awayby a file or similar device thereby adding to the expense of theconstruction of the lamp.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine which enables anunskilled operator to solder various articles together rapidly andaccurately; which is particularly useful to solder the leading-in wiresof incandescent lamps to the contacts in the base of the lamp; whichwill cheapen lamp making by securing the center contact in place on thebase and soldering the leadingin wire to-it in one operation; which willautomatically deliver the solder in accurately measured quantities tothe junction of the'parts to be soldered together and which will ingeneral enable lamp manufacturers to, do away with hand work and skilledlabor in soldering in the leading-in Wires.

In carrying out my invention, a suitable or holder is support or holderis used to hold the parts to be joined in proper relation to each other,and some suitable soldering device is arranged to deliver definitequantities of parts to be joinedis' automatically brought into properrelation to the soldering device,

which then delivers solder to the junction and firmly unites the parts.The support referably movable, while the soldering device is fixed insuch a position that the movement of the support brings the parts to bejoined into such a position that the solder deliveredby the solderingdevice will join them together. The soldering devicesmay assume variousforms but is preferably arranged to deliver a definite amount 1 ofmolten solder to the junction of the parts to be joined. The amount ofsolder to be delivered may be measured out in various ways withoutdeparting from my invention, but in the preferred-arrangement, pelletsof solder are fed one at a.time to a heater where each pellet is meltedand the molten solderused before the next pellet is fed into the heater.1

In order to eliminate the operation of fix ing the center contact to thebase before soldering in the leading-in wire, the base is so formed orshaped that the solder, which connects the leading-in wire and thecenter contact also holds the center contact in position. The support orholder is preferably arranged so that the base, center contact andleading-in wire are held in proper relation and carried to the solderingdevice Where a drop of molten solder is delivered to the junction of thecenter contact and the leading-in wire, firmly soldering them togetherand at the same time fastening the center contact to the base. bestattained by making a funnel-shaped opening in the base, placing'thecenter contact at the small end of the opening, placing the leading-inwire in the opening in en gagement with the center contact, and thenfilling the opening with molten solder, which joins the leading-in wireto the center contact and solidifies in the opening in This result isthe shape-of a cone with the center contact attached to the small end.

Myinvention will best be-understood in connection with the accompanyingdraw ings, which illustrate one embodiment of the drawings, the variouselements of the machine are carried by a base or table 1 carrylngbearings 2 1n Wl'llCh a dIlVlIlg shaft 3. for supplying power to themachine is rotatably mounted and driven by a pulley or in any suitablemanner. The soldering device is actuated from the driving shaft 3 bymeans of a gear 4 meshing with a corresponding ar 5 keyed to acounter-shaft 6 of the sol ering device, while the support or holder forthe parts to be oined is driven from the driving shaft by means of agear 7 keyed to the driving shaft and meshing with a gear 8-connected toa short countershaft 9 mounted in a suitable bearing upon the base ortable 1. The carrier or holder for the parts to be joined may be of anysuitable form, and ispreferably given an intermittent motion from thecounter-shaft 9 by means of any suitable mechanism which will move thecarrier with a dwell or pause in its movement.

1 The particular arrangement shown in the drawings for moving thecarrier or support comprises a pinion 10 mounted on the upper end of thecounter-shaft 9 and cooperating with a mutilated gear wheel 11. Thepinion .10 has a portion cut away and also carries a projection whichengages the slots in the gear wheel 11, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.2, the pinion and the gear wheel cooperating to form a Geneva'stopmotion by means of which the rotatable carrier or support 12 is given anintermittent motion and is locked stationary between its period ofmovement to produce a dwell or pause. The driving shaft 3' not onlytransmits power to the soldering device and movable carrier, but alsoacts as a controlling mechanism for compelling the various elementsofthe machine to operate in a'definite sequence and in proper: timerelation to each other .to deliver solder to the parts to be joined.

The carrier or holder and solderin device solder from the solderingdevicelcan be delivered at the 'unction of each set of parts to bejoined. ither the carrier or soldering device may be movable, but in thepreferred construction, as illustrated in the drawings, the solderingdevice is stationary and the movable carrier or support brings the partsof the lamp tothe soldering de vice. The movable carrier or support 12is preferably made in the form of a circular table mounted on ahub 13,which restsupon' way, and the an .ngement shown in the drawingscomprises a plurality of spring clamps mounted near the periphery of thecircular support. Each clamp consistsof clamping jaws 16 formed toengage-and hold the lamp bases, and secured to a platform or base 17 asshown in Fig. 3. When a base is held by the spring clamping jaws 16, the

lower portion of it fits into a recess 18 cut through the platform 17and into the carrier v or support 12. A hole 19 extends from the bottomof the recess 18 through the carrier' or-support 12-.and is smaller thanthe center contact, which may be placed in the recess 18 without fallingthrough the hole 19. The lamp bulb is held in proper relation to thebases in the spring clamps by means of a yoke 0r bulb support, made inthe shape of a ring extending at right angles to the surface'ofthe'support 12 and provided with recesses for receiving the lamp bulbs.As

shown Fig. 3, the clamps and the bulb.

support are held in proper relation to each other on the carrier 12 .bymeans of space blocks 21.

The relation of the lamp bulb to the base when the parts are in positionon the carrier 12 is best shown in Fig. 3. The base, which is of theusual form, consistir g of a screwthreaded shell 22 closed at one end bya web 23 of glass 'or other suitable material is placed between thespring jaws inthe spring made through the web'23 with the large end ofthe hole toward the interior of the shell 22. Before the base-is placedin position,

clamp so that the lower end of the base fills the recess 18. A,funnel-sha-pedhole 2 1 55 a center contact 25 is placed in the bottomof the recess 18 so that when the base is in position in the springclamp, the lower end of the funnel-shaped hole 24; is closed bythecenter contact 25. The bulb 26 is then placed with the large end inone of the recesses in the bulb support 20 and the-small end between thejaws 16 of the spring clamp.

ese,em* a One ofthe leading-in wires 27 is-bent back-,

ward over the-bulb so as to be out of-the way and the other wire 28 isbent downward to bring the end thereof into. the funnel-shaped hole 24,and into engagement with the center contact25. If-desired, an insulatingsleeve of paperor other suitable material may he slipped overtheleadingin wire -28'beforethe wire, is bent in-the position shown inFig. 3. After the parts are assembled, as shown in Fig. 3, thefunnelshaped hole 24 is filled with solder, which joinsjthe leading-inwire tothe center contact, and at the same time solidifies in thefunnel-shaped hole in the form of a cone with the small end attached tothe inner surface of the center contact. Owing to the shape of the hole24, the solder notonly fastens the leading-in wire to the center con-'tact but it also interlocks with the web 23 .and rigidly holds thecentercontact in position on the web-,leavingthe outer surface of thecenter contact perfectly smooth.

Any suitable means may be used to fill the 25 hole 24 with solder afterthe parts-are as-- sembled in proper relation to each other, but thepreferred device is arranged to deliver a definite and accuratelymeasured amount of molten solder, which is just sufiicient to fill thehole 24 and firmly solderthe parts together. The proper amount of soldermay, if desired, be measured out after the solder is melted, but in thepreferred arrangement, the solder is made up .inthe form of shot orpellets, each of which contains just enough solder to fill the hole 24.

The mechanism for delivering the molten solder may assume various forms,but in the preferred arrangement, the various parts 4 of the solderingdevice are mounted upon a vertical frame 29 secured to the table 1 andprovided with horizontal brackets 30 and 31, which carry bearings 32 forthe countershaft 6, and by means of which the device is actuated. Theupper bracket 31 carries a hopper 33 for the pellets of solder,-whichare stirred up by means of a stirring device 34 mounted on and driven bythe countershaft 6, so that the pellets feed freely into a delivery tube35 by means of which they are carried to .a heater to be melted.

The pellets of solder should bedelivered to the heater one at a time,and one type of feeding mechanism by which this result can beaccomplished isshown in Fig. 3. The various parts of the feedingmechanism are mounted on a frame 36 secured to the bracket 30 andcarrying a guide 37 in which reciprocating slides 38 and 39, (Fig. 3)are mounted parallel to each other. The reciprocating slides areactuated; byrmeans of links 40 connected to a pivoted rocker arm v41 onthe opposing sides of the pivot, so

that when the rocker arm is moved, the slide 38 movesin one direction,and the slide 39 in the other. Therocker arm 41 carries a roller '42 atone end thereof, which engages a cam 43 mounted on thecou'nte -shaft andprovided with a projection 44 for-positively moving the rockerarm' 41in. one direction, the armbeing returned and held with the roller 42inengagement with the cam by a spring 45 connected to the end of therocker arm and opposing the roller 42. The

free ends .of the-s 1 cs '38 and 39 roject into the delivery tube 35through "whlch the pellets of solder pass to'the heater, and the slidesare separated b a s ace. slightly greater than the size 0 a pe let ofsolder. When the slide 38 is drawn back, the slide 39 is thrust forwardand closes the delivery tube 35. The ellets of solder in the tube movedewnwarg until stopped by the slide 39, and when the-rocker arm 41 isactuated, the slide 38. is thrust between the lowermost pellet and thepellet immediately above, thereby cutting off one pellet of solder fromthe-mass contained in the delivery tube. As the slide 38 moves acrossthe tube, the slide 39 moves backward, and eventually the pel- 90. lotof solder caught between-the two slides is free to fall through thelowermost portion of the delivery tube into the heater where it ismelted.

The pellet of solder delivered by the feeding mechanism may be melted invarious types of heaters, but a type which is considered desirable isshown in the drawings, and comprises a heating receptacle 46 ofporcelain or other refractory material mounted inthe bracket 30immediately beneath the delivery end of the delivery tube 35. The

heating receptacle is rovided with an inlet passage '47 for receivingthe pellets of solder from the delive tube 35, 'a cylindrical portion48'intowhic the pellet passes from the inlet passage 47, and acontracted funnel-shaped outlet'49 at the end of the cylindrical portion48, which. outlet is smaller than the pellet of solder so that thepellet remains lodged in the cylindrical portion of the heatingreceptacle. This portion of the receptacle is maintained at atemperature above the melting point of the solder by means of a heatingdevice, such as a burner 11 50, supplied through an air pipe 51 anda'gas pipe 52. As each pellet of solder is delivered into the heatingreceptacle, it passesthrough the inlet passage 47 into the cylindricalportion 48 and is retained there by 1-20' the contracted orfunnel-shapedoutlet 01' the heating receptacle until melted, whereuponit drops through the outlet. 1

In order to'make sure that each pellet of solder will be ejected fromthe heating recept-acle after it has been melted, an ejecting deviceforpositively forcing out the molten solder may be used. One form ofdevice suitable-for this purpose is shown in--Fig.

3, and comprises an ejector orsliding rod '130 53, which fits thecylindrical portibn 4.8 of the heating receptacle and reclprocatestherein. The ejector is slidably mountedin' uide lugs 54: on the frame36 and is moved y means of a sprin into the heatmg receptacle to forceout t e molten solder} The rod is moved in the other direction out of'*the-'cy1indrical portion 48 far enough to permit a pellet of solder topass ,into said cylindrical portion .b means of a roller 56 j on the endof the r solder contained therein- The operation of the machine is asfollows: The operator places center contacts and the lamp bases in thespring clamps on amp . the movable carrier and also lacesthe bulbs inproper relation to t e bases, bending one of the leading-inwires of eachbulb to bring itinto engagement with the center contact. Theintermlttent movement of the carrier 12 eventually brings the bulb andbut the preferred arrangement is that shown.

in the drawings, where the lamp and base are brought beneath the outletof the soldering device with the open end of the base upward so that thedrop of molten solder delivered by the soldering device falls into andfills the funnel-shaped hole 24. The leading-in wire and center contactare thereby firmly soldered together, and at the same time the soldersolidifies in the funnelshaped hole 24 and holds the center contact 25in firm engagement with the insulation 23. The support or carrier 12 isthen moved to bring another bulb and base beneath the soldering device,and the above-described operation is repeated.

My invention may be embodied in many other forms than that shown anddescribed,

and I therefore do not wish to be restrictedto the exact form shown, butintend to' cover by the appended claims all changes and modificationswithin the spirit and scope of m invention.

. W'liat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States; is

seas-74 'ten solder, on the wire to 1. In a soldering machine, thecombina interior of said base, of a'soldering device for dropping moltensolder, and means for moving said support and said soldering devicerelatively to each other to bring the end of said wire beneath saiddevice and for operating said soldering device to drop molsolder itto'the base. .3. Ina soldering machine, the combination, with a movablesupport for holding a base and a leading-in wire with its end inengagement with the interior of said base,

of a 'solderin device for delivering molten solder to the interior ofsaid base, and common actuating means for said device and said supportarranged to operate said soldering device to deliver molten solder intosaid base at the junction ofthe end ofsaid leading-in wire and the base.

4:. In a soldering machine, the combination with a support arranged. toholdv a lamp base and a leading-in wire in engagement, of a solderingdevice arranged todeliver molten solder, and means for moving saidsupport and said device relatively to each other to bring the junctionof said baseand wire beneath said device and for actuating said deviceto drop molten solder on said junction.

5. In a soldering machine, the combina tion with a support arranged tohold alamp base and a leading-in wire in engagement, of a solderingdevice having an outlet for molten solder, and means for intermittentlymoving said support to bring the junction of said base and wire beneathsaid outlet, said meansbeing arranged to actuate said soldering deviceto drop molten solder on ifsaid parts at the junctlon thereof.

6. In a soldering machine, the combination with a support arranged tohold a lamp base and a leading-in wire in engagement, of a solderingdevice arranged to deliver molten solder when actuated, and means formoving said support to bring the junction of the base and wire beneaththe soldering device and actuating said device to drop molten solder onthe junction. 4

7. In a soldering machine, the combination with a support arranged tohold a lamp base and a leading-in wire in engagement, of a devicearranged to deliver molten solder when actuated, and means arranged tomove said support intermittently to bring the junction of said base andwire'beneath the device and to actuate said device to deliver wire withits. end inproper relation to the aeaeva molten solder to, the junctionwhile said support is stationary.

8. In a soldering machine, the combination with a soldering devicehaving an outlet and arranged to deliver molten solder through saidoutlet, of arotatable support to said support and said device to actuatearranged to hold a lamp base and a leadingin wire in engagement and tocarry them in proximity to the soldering device with the unction of saidbase and wire beneath said outlet, and actuating mechanism connectedasid device when the junction and wire is beneath said outlet.

9. In a soldering machine, the combination with a soldering devicecomprising a cam shaft and means actuated by said cam shaft to delivermolten solder through an outlet, of a rotatable support arranged to holda lamp base and a leading-in wire in engagement and to bring thejunction of the base and wire adjacent said outlet, and a driving shaftconnected to said support and to said cam shaftto actuate the solderingdevice when the junction of the base and wire is adjacent said outlet.

10. In a soldering machine, the combination with a soldering devicecomprising a cam shaft and means actuated by said cam shaft to delivermolten solder through an outlet, of a rotatable carrier having clamps tohold a plurality of lamp bases and leading-in wires in engagement, withthe junction of each base and wire in a position to be brought adjacentsaid outlet by the rotation of 'said carrier, and driving means for ofsaid base rotating the carrier with a dwell in its movement as each baseand wire is adjacent said outlet connected to said cam shaft to actuatethe soldering device during said dwell.

11. In a soldering machine, the combination with a soldering devicecomprising a cam shaft and means actuated by said cam shaft to delivermolten solder through an outlet, of a movable carrier with clampsarranged to hold a lamp base and a leading-in -wire in engagement andmoving the junction of said base and wire in a path intersecting thepath of the molten solder deliv-.

ered from said outlet, and common driving .means for said carrier andsaid device ar-- ranged to actuate said device when the carrier bringsthe junction into the path of the solder.

12. In a soldering machine, the combination with a soldering devicecomprising a cam shaft and means actuated by said cam shaft to delivermolten solder to an outlet, of a rotatable support for moving thejunction of each of a plurality of sets of lamp bases and leading-inwires to be joined beneath said outlet, 9. driving shaft, 9. mutilatedgear connection between said shaft and said support to drive the supportintermittently and hold each beneath said outlet, and connectionsbetween junction in succession stationary the shaft and the solderingdevice to actuate said de'vice when a junction isgbeneath said outlet.

13. In a soldering machine, a soldering device comprisin a tube having acontracted outlet, means or heating the tube, feeding mechanism fordelivering solder to the tube, and ejecting mechanism for positivelyforcing the molten solder through said contracted outlet.

14. In a soldering machine, a soldering device comprisin a tube having acontracted outlet, means. or heating the tube, feeding mechanism fordelivering to the tube a pellet of solder larger than said outlet, and arod longitudinally movable in said tube to force the molten solderthrough the outlet.

15. In a soldering machine, a soldering device comprisin a tube having acontracted outlet, means or heating the tube, feeding mechanism fordelivering to the tube a ellet of solder larger than sa1d outlet, a relongitudinally movable in the tube, and operatlng means for actuatingsaid feeding mechanism and said rod in predetermined sequence.

16. In a soldering machine, a soldering device comprising a tube havinga contracted outlet, means or heating the tube, feeding mechanism fordelivering to the tube a pellet of solder larger than said outlet, a rodlongitudinally movable in' said tube, a counter shaft, and connectionsfor operating said feeding mechanism and moving said rod longitudinallyby said countershaft.

I In a soldering machine, a support comprlsing a clamp for holdin acenter contact and base in definite re ation with the open end of thebase upward, and means for holding a bulb to one side of the base with aleading-in wire from said bulb in engagement with said center contact.

18. In a soldering machine, the combination with a soldering devicearranged to deliver molten solder through an outlet when actuated, of amovable support comprising means for holding a base and a center contactin definite relation and means for holding a bulb with its leading-inwire in engagement with said center contact so as to leave the open endof the base unobstructed, and common .driving mechanism arranged to movethe support to bring the open end of the base adjacent said outlet andto'actuate the soldering device to inject molten solder into the base.

19. In a soldering machine for incandescent'lamps, the combination witha support for holding the bulb and base in proper relation, said basehaving an opening through the web thereof, a contact over one end ofsaid opening and a leading-in wire of the bulb in engagement with saidcontact, of

' web wlth the filling ing, of means for fillin said opening with a 10heated lastic materia adhering to the contactan solidifying when cool. 7

In witness whereof, I have hereunto-set my hand this 16 day of Setember, 1907.

AL RED SWAN. Witnesses:

S. N. WHITEHEAD, J. HARRY ELKINS.

